Epilogue
DECLAN
*Three Months Later*
The church is packed. There are Murphys everywhere.
Mam’s crying. She has been since she walked in over the reality that her baby is getting married. Cal hands her tissues while he bounces Tally in his arms.
The animals are here too. I insisted. Lola’s in a new backpack, hissing at anyone who gets close. Arnold’s wearing a bowtie. Petal has new racing-green wheels. Even Pepper’s here, in a covered cage, muttering profanities that cause Father Luigi to make the sign of the cross.
Natasha and Tatiana, our flower girls, stand in the back of the church with Raffy, the ring bearer. He keeps telling everyone who passes that the rings are his.
Seamus walks up to me and claps me on the shoulder. “You ready?”
“I’ve been ready for months.”
He grins. “Look at you. Declan Murphy, settling down. Never thought I’d see the day.”
“Fuck off.”
“Love you, too, brother.”
Cal and Torin join us up at the altar, and the music starts.
The doors open and there she is. My gorgeous Molly girl, in a long, white silk gown. Her hair is up, flowers tucked into the curls. She steals my breath for a long minute.
Her parents stand on either side of her, their arms all looped together.
She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
My heart riots.
When they reach me, Heston lifts her veil, kisses her on the cheek, and shakes my hand.
“Take care of my little girl.”
“Always.”
Cloris kisses Molly’s cheek, then turns to me. “And if you don’t, I’ll destroy you,” she mutters.
Seamus stifles a laugh, and I nod. “Noted.”
She smiles—actually smiles—and they take their seats. Together, and their shoulders touch. That’s progress for sure.
I think they’re gonna make it.
Father Luigi starts the ceremony, but I don’t hear a word since I’m too busy looking at her.
“I do,” I say when it’s time.
“I do,” she says.
“The rings are mine,” Raffy announces as he holds them out. We grin and put them on each other’s hands.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” Father Luigi says. He winks at us. “You may now kiss the bride.”
And I don’t need any more of an invitation. I pull her close and press my lips to hers. It’s a long, lingering kiss that is the opposite of acceptable church tongue.
The church erupts into cheers and Pepper screams something obscene.
Love that fucking bird.
At the reception, Seamus stands up and clinks his glass. The room quiets.
“For those who don’t know me, I’m Seamus. Declan’s brother. And his best man.” He pauses. “Also, the one who had to watch him mope around the house for four weeks like a lovesick idiot before he made the best decision in his life and asked Marlowe to marry him for real this time.”
Groans from my brothers. Laughter from everyone else.
“Here’s the thing about my little brother.” Seamus looks at me. “He’s stubborn as hell. Reckless. Jumps before he thinks.” He raises his glass. “But when he loves? He loves with everything he’s got. And Marlowe, you’re the first person who ever made him want to be more than what he is.”
I squeeze Molly’s hand.
“To Declan and Marlowe. May you fight often, make up quickly, and never stop driving each other batshit crazy.”
“Hear, hear!” Cal shouts.
Molly squeezes my hand back and we kiss.
We watch our guests from the privacy of our table, laughing at the chaos in front of us. Lola escapes his backpack and terrorizes the cake table. Raffy runs around showing everyone that his “special rings” are actually candy he smuggled in. Pepper won’t stop screaming “holy fucking matrimony.”
It’s perfect chaos.
Molly rests her head on my shoulder.
“Happy?” I ask.
“Mmm.” She traces circles on my palm. “You?”
“More than I deserve to be.”
“Probably.” She lifts her head and looks at me with those copper eyes. “But you’re stuck with me now.”
“Forever.”
“Forever,” she says softly.
Across the room, her parents are dancing. They’re a little awkward, still figuring things out. But when Heston whispers something and Cloris laughs, it’s a real laugh, not the polished society version she saves for galas and shit.
Decades of issues and baggage don’t disappear overnight. But they’re here. They’re trying.
“She’s letting go of her anger,” Molly says, watching them. “Finally.”
Molly quit the ballet company last month.
She made her decision and walked out with her head high and hasn’t looked back.
But she’s not done with dance. Now she teaches classes for little kids at the community center who can’t afford lessons.
She loves it because they constantly remind her why she fell in love with ballet in the first place.
And she wants to spread that joy to others.
We’ve been working together, too. She did end up taking over the business side of the security company. It’s great to have her by my side through our growing pains. And I won’t lie, I love our long “lunches.”
“Dance with me,” she says, standing.
“I’m shit at dancing.”
“It’s okay. I’ll lead.”
So I let her.
When the song ends, she stays buried against my chest, her arms wrapped tight around me.
“I love you,” I murmur against her hair. “Every stubborn, fierce, beautiful inch of you.”
“I love you too.” She pulls away, a glimmer in her mischievous gaze. “Now take me somewhere where we might get caught having sex and prove it.”
“That’s my Molly.”
“Always.”
My gorgeous, kinky, sexually insatiable Molly.
My wife. My home.
My forever.
I hope you loved Declan and Marlowe’s story! And I have a brand-new dark Irish/Italian mafia series that I cannot wait to share with you!